Absolutely. Always leave a place cleaner than it was when you moved in. When we sold our house in Texas, I scrubbed & vacuumed everything in sight. I even took the stove apart. I’d say clean it as thoroughly as you can. It reflects on you.

I don’t really know about proper protocol, all I know is make sure your deposit is not at risk. Besides, when I move in I’m sure as hell going to clean thoroughly, so for me it wouldn’t matter. People will bitch and moan about the previous tenants anyway, this way you know what they’re moaning about.

Yes, I would even go so far as to steam-clean the carpets and wipe down the walls when you get all your stuff out. It’s curtious and may help you get your deposit back. Also, you may need to use your current landlord as a reference in the future, and you should leave him/her with a good impression.

It depends on the state you live in. If you are in a state where they can charge a “cleaning fee,” then you are probably OK if you leave it reasonably clean and don’t leave any garbage in the apartment.
If you rented from me, you would have signed the move-out policies when you moved in and would know exactly what is expected. In a nut shell, it needs to be as clean as you received it.
Places often missed,
Window and shower door tracks, cobwebs, behind the stove and refrigerator, the top of the shower door, switch plate and electrical covers, mini blinds, windows, range hood…....
If you live there more than a year you won’t have to pay for carpet cleaning (unless there are stains or pet odors) and painting is pro-rated over 3 years.
These are incorporated into MY policies, but others may have a different policy. So far, the only time I ever lost in court was when I had to paint 4 coats, and replace carpets for cigarette smells and the person lived there more than 4 years. I didn’t have a “no smoking” policy so I lost. My policy now states, “Resident is responsible for ALL smoke related damage, regardless of length of tenancy. ”

Yes. I actually have a cleaning crew at my old apartment as we speak—-or as I type…—Every apartment I’ve ever lived in will not give the whole deposit back if the apartment isn’t in the same condition as it was when the renter moved in.

Yes, when I rented then it pretty much gained the favor of the landlords to guarantee the return of my deposits even if there were some little damages and I felt better too making the effort to try and leave the place as close to the condition as when I moved in.

Read your lease. I remember when I signed my old lease that it specifically stated any cleaning the landlord needs to have done, will be a charge of $100 to me. I questioned her, and she said it was because of how terrible one of her rental places was once left, so it was in case they needed a cleaning crew.
Well, we did a deep clean when we left. But, apparently she felt it wasn’t good enough (and yes, they should hire someone to clean before new tenets come in, in my opinion) but I don’t see why we were charged for it (not the full $100)
But, to me, it’s courteous and the right thing to do, to thoroughly clean the place out.

@jmah ; Are you in California? saw San Diego n your profile. if so, legally, you are obligated to leave it in the same condition you found it (less ordinary ware and tear, and dirt is not considered ordinary ware and tear.) If you don’t, the landlord can take the cost of doing so out of your deposit, but they can not make a profit from it. They can only charge you waht it cost’s them.

@Judi I lived in San Diego for a short time. I am from Ontario, Canada and that’s where I live now. I’ve been renting an upstairs apartment. My landlord lives in the lower part. When I first moved in, I didn’t need to put down a deposit.

In order to get our deposit back we are meant to paint our apartment, they can keep the deposit, my time is worth more than that. I will clean it though, I’d be embarrassed to leave it dirty, plus it looks as though a friend of ours may well be moving in when we leave, it’ll be weird to visit her here.

Generally you leave the apt the way you found it less normal wear and tear. Since I live with a clean stove and refrigerator, I would consider it nasty to leave them any other way. Maybe some people who don’t clean the bathtub or vacuum under the bed think soap scum and dust bunnies are normal wear and tear.

Generally, when real estate changes hands, whether it be a tenant or an owner, you are expected to leave the premises “broom clean.” This means you have not left items behind or crumpled up paper and packing popcorn, etc. And, that you go over surfaces. I usually go beyond that and do a big clean. I feel good that I left it in great condition. The truth is the owner will probably have a cleaning service clean before a new tenant anyway.